Issued  November  12,  1910. 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 


FARMERS’  BULLETIN  422. 


DEMONSTRATION  WORK  ON 
SOUTHERN  FARMS. 


BY 


S.  A.  IvNAPI  J, 

Special  Agent  in  Charge  of  Farmers ’  Cooperative  Demonstration  Work , 

Bureau  of  Plant  Industry. 


WASHINGTON  : 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

1910. 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 

Bureau  of  Plant  Industry, 

Office  of  the  Chief, 
Washington,  D.  C.,  August  9,  1910. 

Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  a  manuscript  entitled  “  Demonstration 
Work  on  Southern  Farms,”  by  Dr.  S.  A.  Knapp,  Special  Agent  in  Charge  of  Farmers’ 
Cooperative  Demonstration  Work,  and  recommend  that  it  be  published  as  a  Farmers’ 
Bulletin  to  supersede  Farmers’  Bulletin  319. 

Respectfully,  G.  H.  Powell, 

Actinq  Chief  of  Bureau. 

Hon.  James  Wilson, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture. 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

Introduction .  5 

The  two  branches  of  the  demonstration  work . ; .  6 

Plan  of  organization .  6 

Scope  of  the  demonstrations .  7 

The  instructions .  8 

How  farmers  are  influenced  to  adopt  better  methods .  9 

The  cultural  system  for  producing  cotton  under  boll- weevil  conditions .  10 

Principles  upon  which  success  depends .  10 

Destruction  of  the  weevils . 11 

Fall  and  winter  cultivation  of  the  soil .  11 

Early  planting  and  the  use  of  early-maturing  varieties .  12 

Use  of  fertilizers .  12 

Spacing  between  plants  and  rows .  12 

Use  of  the  section  harrow .  13 

Intensive  cultivation .  13 

Agitation  of  stalks .  13 

Picking  up  fallen  squares .  14 

Barring  off  or  topping .  14 

Selecting  and  storing  seed .  14 

Rotation  of  crops  and  use  of  legumes .  14 

Demonstration  work  on  various  farm  crops .  15 

Corn  culture .  15 

Selection  of  seed  corn .  17 

Cowpeas  and  other  soil-renovating  crops .  18 

Seed  farms .  18 

Boys’  corn  clubs .  18 

Practical  results  accomplished .  20 

Conclusion . 21 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Fig.  1.  Cornfield  on  a  demonstration  farm,  showing  a  school  for  farmers  engaged 

in  selecting  corn .  16 

2.  Corn  day  at  Monroe,  N.  C.,  showing  200  farmers  selecting  and  testing 

corn  for  planting .  17 

3.  Members  of  a  boys’  corn  club  at  Tyler,  Tex.  A  real  school  of  agri¬ 

culture  .  19 

4.  How  to  make  a  farmer.  The  boy  who  grew  the  corn  is  standing  in  his 

demonstration  patch .  20 

422 


2 


B.  P.  I.— 610. 


DEMONSTRATION  WORK  ON  SOUTHERN 

FARMS. 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  Farmers’  Cooperative  Demonstration  Work  conducted  by  the 
United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  through  the  Bureau  of 
Plant  Industry  was  inaugurated  under  authority  of  Congress  in  Jan¬ 
uary,  1904,  primarily  because  of  the  depredations  of  the  Mexican 
cotton  boll  weevil  in  the  State  of  Texas.  By  the  rapid  spread  of  this 
pest  east  and  north  it  had  then  become  evident  that  it  would  in  time 
invade  all  of  the  cotton-producing  States.  This  occasioned  a  gen¬ 
eral  alarm  among  the  cotton  planters  and  in  the  industrial  centers 
of  the  entire  country.  For  a  number  of  years  prior  to  1904  the  Mexi¬ 
can  boll  weevil  had  been  steadily  encroaching  upon  the  cotton- 
producing  lands  of  Texas,  until  it  had  spread  from  the  Rio  Grande 
to  a  short  distance  beyond  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  State  and 
threatened  the  entire  cotton  industry  of  the  South.  In  sections 
where  cotton  was  the  sole  cash  crop  the  invasion  of  the  weevil  and 
the  consequent  loss  of  the  cotton  crop  brought  disaster  to  every 
interest  and  so  completely  demoralized  financial  conditions  as  to 
produce  in  some  sections  a  panic. 

The  cotton  crop  had  been  generally  produced  upon  a  credit  system 
by  securing  advances  from  merchants  and  bankers.  Upon  the  advent 
of  the  boll  weevil,  confidence  in  securing  a  cotton  crop  was  impaired 
and  in  some  districts  almost  totally  destroyed.  The  usual  advances 
were  either  withheld  or  limited;  labor  became  discontented  and 
sought  other  sections. or  other  States;  and  tenant  farmers,  unable 
to  obtain  advances,  removed  to  noninfested  districts,  a  marked  decline 
in  property  values  resulting. 

These  circumstances  created  a  demand  for  immediate  relief  which 
appealed  to  the  entire  country,  as  the  loss  of  the  cotton  crop  would  be 
a  national  calamity.  In  response  to  this  appeal  Congress  made  an 
emergency  appropriation  in  January  3  1904,  which  has  been  continued 
each  year,  thus  affording  opportunity  for  the  growth  and  enlarge¬ 
ment  of  the  work. 

3 


422 


4 


DEMONSTRATION  WORK  ON  SOUTHERN  FARMS. 


THE  TWO  BRANCHES  OF  THE  DEMONSTRATION  WORK. 

As  at  present  organized  and  developed,  the  Farmers’  Cooperative 
Demonstration  Work  may  be  said  to  consist  of  two  divisions:  (1) 
The  demonstration  of  improved  methods  of  agriculture  in  the  weevil- 
infested  districts,  which  is  the  natural  outgrowth  of  the  original  plan, 
and  (2)  the  extension  of  the  same  principles  to  other  Southern  States 
beyond  the  range  of  weevil  infestation. 

The  territory  covered  by  the  first  division  of  the  work  includes 
Texas,  Arkansas,  Oklahoma,  Louisiana,  Mississippi,  Alabama,  and 
Tennessee;  that  covered  by  the  second  division  of  the  work  includes 
Florida,  Georgia,  the  two  Carolinas,  and  Virginia.  The  expenses 
of  this  division  of  the  work  are  defrayed 
Board,  which  has  appropriated  the  sum  of  $113,000  for  demonstra¬ 
tion  work  for  the  fiscal  year  beginning  October  1,  1910.  The  board 
has  shown  deep  interest,  hearty  cooperation,  and  a  very  broad 
philanthropy  in  this  work  of  reaching  the  rural  masses  and  bettering 
farm  conditions. 


by  the  General  Education 


PLAN  OF  ORGANIZATION. 

The  Farmers’  Cooperative  Demonstration  Work  is  conducted 
under  the  Bureau  of  Plant  Industry  by  a  special  agent  in  charge, 
who  reports  directly  to  the  Chief  of  the  Bureau.  A  corps  of  field 
agents,  classified  according  to  territory  in  charge,  as  state,  district, 
and  county  agents,  is  employed.  The  county  agents  are  appointed 
mainly  on  the  advice  of  local  committees  of  prominent  business  men 
and  farmers  conversant  with  the  territory  to  be  worked.  Each  agent 
has  in  charge  the  practical  work  in  one  or  more  counties,  strictly 
under  such  general  directions  as  may  be  issued  from  the  central 
office  at  Washington,  D.  C.  The  field  agents  have  been  selected  with 
special  reference  to  a  thorough  knowledge  of  improved  agriculture 
and  practical  experience  in  farming  in  the  sections  to  which  appointed. 
District  agents  are  expected  not  only  to  have  a  knowledge  of  scientific 
agriculture,  but  to  be  practical  farmers  and  to  have  had  considerable 
experience  in  the  demonstration  work.  State  agents  are  strong  and 
capable  men,  who  have  shown  their  ability  to  successfully  carry  out 
the  instructions  of  the  central  office  over  a  large  territory,  and  they 
are  especially  qualified  for  the  work  by  the  possession  of  the  tact 
necessary  to  influence  men. 

The  term  “demonstration  farm”  is  used  to  designate  a  portion  of 
land  on  a  farm  that  is  worked  strictly  according  to  our  instructions. 
This  is  visited  by  an  agent  as  often  as  once  a  month,  if  possible,  to 
see  that  these  instructions  are  carried  out  and  to  give  any  further 
advice  necessary. 

422 


DEMONSTRATION  WORK  ON  SOUTHERN  FARMS. 


5 


A  “cooperator  ”  is  a  farmer  who  agrees  to  work  a  part  or  all  of 
his  crop  according  to  our  instructions,  but  a  department  agent  only 
visits  him  in  exceptional  cases. 

There  are  now  in  the  service  of  this  division  of  the  work  about 
four  hundred  and  thirty  agents,  covering  considerable  of  the  territory 
in  the  States  mentioned.  For  the  fiscal  year  1910-11  there  will  be 
in  all,  exclusive  of  boys’  work,  over  sixty  thousand  demonstrators  and 
cooperators. 

SCOPE  OF  THE  DEMONSTRATIONS. 

The  Farmers’  Cooperative  Demonstration  Work  is  a  system  by 
which  the  simple  and  well-established  principles  of  successful  farm¬ 
ing  are  directly  taught  to  the  men  on  the  farms.  The  men  who  toil  on 
the  farms  to  produce  the  food  that  nourishes  all  the  people,  and  who 
in  a  large  measure  provide  the  resources  that  support  our  civilization, 
are  as  justly  entitled  to  a  knowledge  of  the  best  that  science  and 
general  experience  have  evolved  for  the  increase  of  production  and  for 
the  betterment  of  agricultural  conditions  as  the  youth  of  our  country 
are  entitled  to  an  education  that  will  fit  them  for  a  broader  citizen¬ 
ship. 

One  of  the  most  serious  problems  in  the  reform  of  agricultural 
methods  has  been  how  to  influence  the  farmer  to  adopt  improved 
practices.  It  has  been  found  that  the  mere  dissemination  of  printed 
information  sometimes  does  not  accomplish  this  result,  and  therefore 
the  method  of  neighborhood  farm  demonstrations  in  cooperation  with 
progressive  farmers  has  been  evolved.  The  effect  of  a  field  demon¬ 
stration  is  immediate  and  positive,  and  reaches  all  classes. 

By  actual  count,  it  is  determined  that  the  number  of  farmers  who 
annually  visit  each  demonstration  farm  ranges  from  thirty  to  a  hun¬ 
dred.  If  the  average  is  placed  as  low  as  thirty  the  total  number  visit¬ 
ing  demonstration  farms  in  one  year  would  be  something  like  one 
million. 

The  teaching  by  object  lessons  is  more  effective  where  it  is  simple, 
direct,  and  limited  to  a  few  common  field  crops,  such  as  cotton,  corn, 
cowpeas,  and  oats  in  the  South,  so  that  the  comparisons  may  be  evi¬ 
dent  and  accepted  at  a  glance.  If  general  success  can  be  secured 
with  these  standard  crops,  further  diversification  follows  as  a  natural 
result. 

Briefly  stated,  the  salient  features  of  the  cooperative  farm  demon¬ 
strations  are  as  follows : 

(1)  Better  drainage  of  the  soil. 

(2)  A  deeper  and  more  thoroughly  pulverized  seed  bed;  deep  fall 
breaking  (plowing)  with  implements  that  will  not  bring  the  subsoil 
to  the  surface. 


6 


DEMONSTRATION  WORK  ON  SOUTHERN  FARMS. 


(3)  The  use  of  seed  of  the  best  variety,  -intelligently  selected  and 
carefully  stored. 

(4)  In  cultivated  crops,  giving  the  rows  and  the  plants  in  the  rows 
a  space  suited,  to  the  plant,  the  soil,  and  the  climate. 

(5)  Intensive  tillage  during  the  growing  period  of  the  crops. 

(6)  The  importance  of  a  high  content  of  humus  in  the  soil.  The 
use  of  legumes,  barnyard  manure,  farm  refuse,  and  commercial 
fertilizers. 

(7)  The  value  of  crop  rotation  and  a  winter  cover  crop  on  south¬ 
ern  farms. 

(8)  The  accomplishing  of  more  work  in  a  day  on  the  farm  by  using 
more  horsepower  and  better  implements. 

(9)  The  importance  of  increasing  the  farm  stock  to  the  extent  of 
utilizing  all  the  waste  products  and  idle  lands  of  the  farm. 

(10)  The  production  of  all  food  required  for  the  men  and  animals 
on  the  farm. 

(11)  The  keeping  of  an  account  with  each  farm  product,  in  order 
to  know  from  which  the  gain  or  loss  arises. 

THE  INSTRUCTIONS. 

Our  instructions  have  the  following  advantages:  (1)  What  the 
Department  of  Agriculture  at  Washington  knows  from  its  vast  stores 
of  information  about  the  special  crop  under  consideration;  (2)  what 
the  state  agricultural  experiment  stations  in  the  South  have  demon¬ 
strated  to  be  the  most  advantageous  methods;  (3)  what  the  best  farm¬ 
ers  in  the  South  have  tested  and  proved  to  be  the  most  successful  prac¬ 
tices  upon  the  farms;  and  (4)  the  knowledge  obtained  by  the  traveling 
agents  of  this  demonstration  work,  who  visit  and  have  personal 
knowledge  of  the  localities  in  the  State  in  which  they  are  stationed. 
Even  then  the  instructions  given  are  along  the  lines  of  correct  prin¬ 
ciples,  leaving  many  details  to  the  good  judgment  of  the  farmer. 

In  this  cooperative  work  great  stress  is  laid  upon  a  more  thorough 
preparation  of  the  soil  in  the  autumn,  because  in  our  southern  climate 
the  frosts  do  not  penetrate  the  soils  sufficiently  to  open  them  and 
admit  air;  we  must  therefore  do  by  plowing  in  the  fall  and  by  some 
winter  cultivation  what  nature  does  in  the  colder  North. 

In  the  richest  soils  there  is  but  little  food  ready  prepared  for  the 
plant,  and  nature’s  plan  is  that  this  food  shall  be  prepared  more  or 
less  daily  by  the  action  of  the  air,  the  moisture  in  the  soils,  and  the 
sun.  These  three  agents  make  active  the  forces  that  prepare  the  food, 
so  the  plant  can  be  properly  nourished.  This  can  not  be  done  with¬ 
out  plowing  and  cultivating  to  admit  the  air,  and  the  earlier  this 
work  is  commenced  before  the  winter  the  greater  the  effect  it  will 
have  upon  the  crop  of  the  following  season. 

422 


DEMONSTRATION  WORK  ON  SOUTHERN  FARMS. 


7 


The  effect  of  using  good  seed  is  not  sufficiently  appreciated,  nor 
perhaps  is  it  understood  just  what  makes  good  seed.  It  must  be  the 
best  variety  for  the  purpose,  carefully  selected  early  in  the  fall  and 
stored  in  a  dry  place.  The  reasons  for  very  frequent  cultivation  are 
the  admission  of  air,  the  conservation  of  moisture  in  the  soil,  and  the 
prevention  of  a  surface  crust. 

Young  plants  require  excellent  cultivation,  iust  as  young  animals 
require  the  best  food  and  care. 

The  judicious  use  of  commercial  fertilizers  is  one  of  the  most  im¬ 
portant  matters  in  modern  agriculture,  for  this  furnishes  plant  food 
directly  and  indirectly  to  the  young  plants.  For  soil  improvement 
we  must  largely  depend  upon  barnyard  manure,  the  compost  heap, 
and  leguminous  plants,  such  as  cowpeas. 

The  importance  of  doing  more  as  well  as  better  work  in  a  day  has 
not  been  sufficiently  impressed  upon  the  southern  farmer.  This  re¬ 
quires  the  use  of  stronger  teams  and  better  tools.  Working  3  acres 
in  a  day  where  one  is  worked  now  and  working  each  acre  three  times 
as  well  is  a  problem  in  profit  easily  understood  after  demonstration. 

HOW  FARMERS  ARE  INFLUENCED  TO  ADOPT  BETTER  METHODS. 

In  the  South  nearly  all  the  merchants,  bankers,  and  lawyers  in 
the  towns  and  smaller  cities  own  farms  and  are  intensely  interested 
in  agriculture.  They  form  an  effective  center  of  influence,  easily 
convinced  of  the  value  of  the  cooperative  demonstration  plan  by 
reason  of  their  high  intelligence.  Meetings  are  called  and  the  work 
inaugurated.  No  further  argument  is  necessary  after  the  demon¬ 
strations  have  been  made.  Facts  do  the  talking.  The  teachers  in 
the  public  schools  are  generally  alert  and  render  most  valuable  assist¬ 
ance.  The  agricultural  colleges  and  agricultural  experiment  stations 
give  hearty  cooperation.  Thus,  general  interest  is  aroused  in  these 
demonstrations,  which  leads  to  careful  observation  and  study  on  the 
part  of  the  farmers  and  of  the  community.  Public  meetings  are 
held  for  the  discussion  of  these  plans.  In  the  cotton-producing 
States  the  first  instructions  include  cotton  as  the  main  cash  crop, 
corn  as  the  standard  food  for  work  animals  and  the  basis  for  more 
stock  on  the  farm,  cowpeas  for  food  and  for  the  renovation  of  the 
soil,  the  growing  of  oats,  wheat,  rye,  or  clover  and  vetch  as  a  winter 
cover  crop,  and  the  meadow  and  the  pasture  as  the  most  economical 
source  of  food  for  farm  stock.  When  the  farmer  has  mastered  these 
crops  he  is  ready  for  diversification  in  any  desired  direction. 

In  districts  where  cotton  is  not  the  standard  cash  crop  instruction 
is  given  in  whatever  replaces  cotton  as  a  money-earning  crop.  These 
simple  lessons  at  the  start  are  gradually  made  progressive  until  they 

422 


8 


DEMONSTRATION  WORK  ON  SOUTHERN  FARMS. 


cover  all  information  necessary  to  success  in  the  agriculture  of  the 
district. 

As  a  means  of  reaching  thousands  of  farmers  with  whom  our  agents 
do  not  come  in  personal  contact  systematic  use  is  made  of  the  news¬ 
papers.  Every  bulletin  or  letter  of  instruction  sent  to  cooperators 
is  also  furnished  to  about  two  thousand  county  newspapers,  and  by 
most  of  them  published  in  full.  The  hearty  cooperation  of  the  press 
has  been  of  great  value  to  the  demonstration  work. 

THE  CULTURAL  SYSTEM  FOR  PRODUCING  COTTON  UNDER  BOLL- 

WEEVIL  CONDITIONS. 

PRINCIPLES  UPON  WHICH  SUCCESS  DEPENDS. 

As  it  is  evident  that  the  cotton  boll  weevil  will  soon  spread  over 
the  entire  cotton-producing  territory  of  the  United  States,  it  is  a 
matter  of  general  interest  to  know  how  cotton  is  at  present  produced 
with  the  weevil  present. 

Success  in  making  a  cotton  crop  under  boll- weevil  conditions  is 
based  upon  three  principles.  It  was  found  (1)  that  the  numbers  of 
the  weevils  could  be  limited  so  that  they  would  not  become  totally 
destructive  to  the  crop  until  the  first  and  middle  crops  are  out  of 
danger;  (2)  that  the  cotton  plant  can  be  so  bred  and  selected  as  to 
throw  nearly  its  whole  life  forces  into  the  lower  and  middle  crops;  and 
(3)  that  the  plant  can  be  so  hastened  to  maturity  by  the  application 
of  cultural  methods  that  most  of  the  bolls  will  be  developed  to  the 
safety  point  before  the  weevils  are  too  numerous. 

Guided  by  the  principles  just  mentioned,  the  Bureau  of  Plant 
Industry  has  worked  out  a  cooperative  plan  of  producing  cotton 
under  boll-weevil  conditions,  which  is  known  through  the  South  as 
the  “cotton-cultural  system.”  This  plan  is  based  upon  our  knowl¬ 
edge  of  the  cotton  plant  and  upon  the  life  habits  of  the  boll  weevil 
as  ascertained  by  the  Bureau  of  Entomology. a  Its  chief  features 
may  be  briefly  mentioned,  as  follows: 

The  destruction  of  the  weevils  in  the  fall  (1)  by  burning  the  cotton 
stalks  early  in  the  fall  while  the  weevils  are  still  upon  them  and 
(2)  by  burning  all  rubbish  in  and  about  the  field  which  might  serve 
for  hibernating  quarters. 

It  is  so  difficult  to  secure  a  general  adoption  by  the  farmers  of  the 
plan  of  early  burning  of  the  cotton  stalks  that  we  have  allowed  the 
stalks  to  be  turned  under,  provided  they  are  completely  turned  under 
by  deep  fall  plowing  and  the  region  is  one  which  has  considerable 
winter  precipitation.  This  will  insure  the  destruction  of  hibernating 
weevils. 


aSee  Bulletin  51,  Bureau  of  Entomology,  U.  S.  Dept,  of  Agriculture. 
422 


DEMONSTRATION  WORK  ON  SOUTHERN  FARMS. 


9 


The  following  directions  then  should  be  observed: 

(1)  Where  there  is  no  cover  crop  do  some  shallow  winter  culti¬ 
vation  of  the  soil. 

(2)  Plant  as  early  as  the  season  will  allow  with  safety  to  the  crop. 

(3)  Plant  earty-maturing  varieties  of  cotton. 

(4)  Use  some  fertilizers. 

(5)  Leave  more  space  between  the  rows,  and  on  ordinary  uplands 
have  a  greater  distance  between  plants  in  the  row  than  is  usually 
allowed.  On  rich  or  highly  fertilized  lands  it  is  better  to  crowd  the 
plants  slightly  in  the  rows  to  avoid  the  excessive  growth  of  the  stalks. 

(6)  Use  the  section  harrow  before  and  after  planting  and  on  the 
young  cotton. 

(7)  Give  intensive  shallow  cultivation. 

(8)  Agitate  the  stalks  by  means  of  brush  attached  to  the  cultivator. 

(9)  Pick  up  and  burn  the  squares  that  fall,  where  practicable. 

(10)  Plant  selected  seed  of  the  best  variety. 

(11)  Rotate  the  crops  and  use  legumes. 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  system  as  outlined  has  a  twofold  object: 
(1)  To  reduce  the  number  of  weevils  and  (2)  to  aid  early  maturity 
in  order  to  obtain  a  crop  in  advance  of  the  weevil. 

A  few  remarks  concerning  the  main  features  of  this  plan  may  prove 
of  value. 

DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  WEEVILS. 

One  of  the  greatest  dangers  to  the  cotton  crop  is  the  wintering  of 
large  numbers  of  weevils.  By  a  failure  to  destroy  early  in  the  fall 
the  immature  cotton  bolls  and  the  rubbish  in  the  fields,  enough  wee¬ 
vils  may  be  wintered  over  to  jeopardize  the  crops  the  ensuing  year. 
If  the  immature  bolls  and  the  field  rubbish  are  destroyed  the  stalks 
may  be  safely  plowed  under.  The  rubbish  in  the  field  which  may 
serve  for  hibernating  quarters  includes  the  borders  and  fence  corners. 
Two  methods  of  destroying  the  overwintered  weevils  while  they  are 
feeding  on  the  tender  terminal  buds  are  advocated:  (1)  They  may 
be  hand  picked  and  burned  or  (2)  some  may  be  destroyed  by  the 
judicious  use  of  poisons. 


FALL  AND  WINTER  CULTIVATION  OF  THE  SOIL. 


Deep  breaking  of  the  soil  in  the  fall  assists  in  the  destruction  of  the 
weevils  and  in  the  preparation  of  the  field  for  successful  cropping  the 
following  season.  In  order  to  air  the  soil  and  destroy  grass,  shallow 
winter  cultivation  of  the  soil  should  be  practiced,  i.  e.,  working  the 
land  with  a  section  harrow  or  a  disk  once  every  twenty  or  thirty  days 
during  the  winter,  as  the  weather  may  permit.  The  soil  should  be 
in  excellent  condition  at  the  time  of  planting. 

60873°— Bull.  422—10 - 2 


10 


DEMONSTRATION  WORK  ON  SOUTHERN  FARMS. 


EARLY  PLANTING  AND  THE  USE  OF  EARLY-MATURING 

VARIETIES. 

The  object  of  early  planting  is  to  hasten  the  maturity  of  the  crop. 
The  Bureau  of  Entomology  has  shown  that  the  weevils  do  not  mul¬ 
tiply  until  the  squares  begin  to  form  and  do  not  generally  become 
numerous  enough  to  destroy  the  entire  crop  before  the  last  of  July. 
In  addition  to  this,  early  planting  has  been  found  generally  helpful 
against  cotton  pests,  such  as  the  bollworm  and  the  leafworm.  Fur¬ 
thermore,  the  winter  rains  usually  leave  the  soil  with  plenty  of 
moisture,  while  in  the  spring  there  is  liable  to  be  a  drought  which  may 
retard  germination  in  late  planting.  By  early  planting  it  is  not 
intended  to  convey  the  impression  that  the  planting  should  be  unu¬ 
sually  early.  It  is  always  better  to  delay  till  all  danger  of  frost  is 
past  and  the  ground  is  warm  enough  for  the  plants  to  grow  rapidly. 

Varieties  of  cotton  differ  in  time  of  maturity,  and  the  same  variety 
may  differ  owing  to  soil,  moisture,  fertilization,  cultivation,  etc. 
The  planting  of  early-maturing  varieties  of  cotton  is  not  only  impor¬ 
tant  as  an  aid  in  securing  a  crop,  but  also  as  a  means  of  destroying 
the  weevil.  The  early-maturing  cotton  can  be  gathered  and  the 
immature  bolls  destroyed  before  it  is  time  for  the  weevils  to  go  into 
winter  quarters.  If  all  growers  would  plant  early-maturing  cotton 
and  follow  the  plan  here  outlined  it  would  result  in  greatly  lessening 
the  damage  of  the  weevil. 

In  advising  the  planting  of  early-maturing  cotton  it  is  not  the  inten¬ 
tion  to  advocate  the  exclusive  use  of  small-boll  cotton.  These 
varieties  may  be  better  adapted  to  the  northern  limits  of  the  cotton 
belt,  but  in  nine-tenths  of  the  cotton-producing  territory  there  are 
large-boll  varieties  which  can  be  just  as  successfully  grown  under 
boll-weevil  conditions  as  the  small-boll  cottons.  They  must  be  varie¬ 
ties  that  are  generally  vigorous  and  that  put  out  short-jointed  fruit 
limbs  close  to  the  ground. 

‘  USE  OF  FERTILIZERS. 

The  use  of  fertilizers,  especially  acid  phosphate  and  potash,  to 
hasten  maturity  and  increase  fruitage,  as  well  as  the  use  of  cotton¬ 
seed  meal  when  necessary  to  promote  vigor  and  growth,  is  recom¬ 
mended.  Soils  and  methods  of  application  are  fully  explained  in  the 
course  of  the  work,  and  it  has  been  demonstrated  that  a  small  quan¬ 
tity  of  fertilizer  properly  applied  accomplishes  marvelous  results. 

SPACING  BETWEEN  PLANTS  AND  ROWS. 

Planting  in  rows  wider  than  usual  and  allowing  more  space  in  the 
row  on  light  lands  are  advised  under  boll-weevil  conditions.  Special 
attention  must  be  directed  to  have  the  rows  the  proper  distance  apart 

422 


DEMONSTRATION  WORK  ON  SOUTHERN  FARMS. 


11 


and  to  thin  the  plants  in  the  rows.  There  must  be  width  enough  for 
the  sun’s  rays  to  reach  the  earth  between  the  rows  and  thus  aid  in 
destroying  the  larvae  of  the  weevil  in  the  fallen  squares. 

Generally  speaking,  more  space  to  the  plant  makes  a  better  stalk 
with  more  limbs,  more  bloom,  and  a  higher  grade  of  cotton.  The 
spacing  between  the  rows  and  in  the  rows  must  depend  on  the  soil 
and  the  variety  of  cotton. 

USE  OF  THE  SECTION  HARROW. 

The  use  of  the  section  harrow  as  soon  as  the  crop  comes  up  is  of 
sufficient  importance  to  warrant  special  mention.  After  early  plant¬ 
ing  the  germination  is  frequently  slow  and  the  earth  may  become 
crusted.  The  harrow  may  be  used  to  break  the  crust  before  the  plants 
are  up  and  should  be  used  soon  afterwards  to  keep  the  soil  loose  so 
that  the  plants  will  take  on  rapid  growth  at  once.  The  crop  is  sur¬ 
prisingly  advanced  by  the  judicious  use  of  the  harrow.  The  field 
should  be  harrowed  thoroughly  just  before  planting  and  immediately 
after  planting,  and  again  as  soon  as  the  cotton  is  up.  The  harrow 
should  be  used  diagonally  across  the  rows. 

INTENSIVE  CULTIVATION. 

Plowing  or  cultivating  deep  the  first  time  and  shallow  at  all  subse¬ 
quent  times  is  an  important  feature  of  good  cotton  production.  It 
destroys  weeds,  increases  the  plant  food,  and  conserves  moisture,  con¬ 
sequently  hastening  maturity.  Under  boll-weevil  conditions  the  cot¬ 
ton  crop  should  be  cultivated  every  week.  Some  of  our  most  suc¬ 
cessful  cooperators  have  cultivated  fifteen  times  and  continued  till 
picking  commenced. 

AGITATION  OF  STALKS. 

Violent  agitation  of  the  cotton  stalks  when  cultivating  or  plowing, 
by  means  of  brush  attached  to  the  handles  of  the  cultivator  or  plow, 
is  recommended.  The  great  majority  of  squares  fall  off  naturally 
in  a  very  few  days  after  they  become  infested.  Abundant  testi¬ 
mony  has  come  from  our  cooperators  to  show  that  as  long  as  weekly 
cultivation  of  the  crop  with  violent  agitation  of  the  stalks  is  continued 
the  damage  done  by  the  boll  weevil  is  greatly  reduced. 

One  of  the  serious  disadvantages  in  sections  of  considerable  rain¬ 
fall  is  a  failure  to  have  the  lands  sufficiently  drained,  because  they 
retain  moisture  to  an  extent  that  prevents  rapid  cultivation.  Hence 
under  boll-weevil  conditions  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  plant  cotton 
only  on  well-drained  land.  Of  course,  it  may  succeed  on  other  lands 
occasionally,  but  it  is  an  unsafe  venture.  This  refers  particularly  to 
much  of  the  stiff-soil  back  lands  in  the  alluvial  sections  of  Louisiana 
and  Mississippi. 

422 


I 


12  DEMONSTRATION  WORK  ON  SOUTHERN  FARMS. 

PICKING  UP  FALLEN  SQUARES. 

An  important  aid  toward  the  destruction  of  the  weevils  is  picking 
up  the  squares  that  fall.  If  two  or  three  generations  can  thus  be 
destroyed,  it  will  result  in  retarding  the  increase  of  the  weevil  and 
in  adding  to  the  cotton  crop.  This  reduces  the  rapidity  with  which 
the  weevils  multiply  and  is  a  great  aid  in  saving  the  crop.  In  fact, 
a  crop  can  almost  always  be  made  successfully  if  intensive  cultiva¬ 
tion  can  be  carried  out  and  the  squares  are  picked  up. 

BARRING  OFF  OR  TOPPING. 

Under  boll-weevil  conditions  the  main  cotton  crop  must  be  made 
upon  the  lower  and  middle  limbs.  There  is  no  use  of  a  tall  plant. 
The  growth  of  the  plant  should  therefore  be  controlled  by  selecting 
the  seed  from  plants  with  a  tendency  to  somewhat  low  growth. 
Occasionally  barring  off  or  topping  may  be  of  some  service  if  done 
when  the  plants  are  not  too  large.  As  soon  as  the  plant  indicates 
too  rapid  growth,  bar  off  on  each  side,  thus  slightly  root  pruning  and 
retarding  upward  growth.  The  tendency  will  then  be  to  throw  more 
vigor  into  the  lower  limbs  and  to  put  on  more  fruit.  This  method 
is  especially  valuable  on  rich  bottom  lands,  where  the  stalks  fre¬ 
quently  grow  6  to  7  feet  high.  It  should  be  noted  that  with  the  boll 
weevil  no  top  crop  is  made ;  hence,  more  bottom  crop  must  be  secured, 
requiring  a  low,  limby,  vigorous  plant. 

SELECTING  AND  STORING  SEED. 

Scarcely  any  item  in  the  cultural  system  is  of  more  importance 
than  the  selection  of  the  seed  as  an  aid  to  early  maturity  in  the  fol¬ 
lowing  crop.  The  largest,  best,  and  earliest  bolls  from  the  most 
vigorous  short-jointed  plants  should  be  selected  for  seed  in  advance 
of  the  general  picking  and  be  stored  in  a  dry  place.  The  planting  of 
early-maturing  varieties  and  the  selection  of  seed  from  the  earliest 
and  best  bolls  on  the  most  vigorous  and  best  developed  stalks  are 
fundamental  principles  in  growing  cotton  irrespective  of  the  boll 
weevil  and  can  not  be  too  closely  followed. 

ROTATION  OF  CROPS  AND  USE  OF  LEGUMES. 

The  Bureau  of  Plant  Industry  in  all  its  instructions  seeks  to  build 
up  soil  energy  and  to  improve  the  mechanical  condition  of  the 
soil  as  well.  An  important  factor  to  this  end  is  rotation  of  crops 
and  the  increase  of  humus  by  plowing  under  green  plants,  especially 
cowpeas.  This  builds  up  the  soil  and  renders  it  mere  porous  and 
responsive. 


DEMONSTRATION  WORK  ON  SOUTHERN  FARMS. 


13 


Some  of  the  serious  difficulties  in  cotton  production  arise  from  the 
growing  of  consecutive  crops  of  cotton  on  the  same  land.  This 
reduces  fertility  and  hence  operates  against  early  maturity.  With 
the  best  of  efforts  to  clear  fields  of  the  weevil  in  the  fall  by  burning 
the  stalks  and  deep  plowing,  some  weevils  will  survive,  and  a  few 
soon  infest  the  field.  By  planting  one  half  of  the  land  to  corn  and 
cowpeas  and  the  other  half  to  cotton,  as  much  cotton  can  be  produced 
as  formerly  and  the  land  will  be  gradually  restored  to  its  original 
fertility.  The  corn  and  cowpeas  will  also  add  materially  to  the 
income  of  the  farm,  but  the  special  reason  urged  for  such  rotation 
under  boll-weevil  infestation  is  that  the  crop  of  corn  and  peas  leaves 
the  field  free  from  the  weevil,  as  it  feeds  only  upon  cotton.  It  is  evi¬ 
dent  that  with  the  boll  weevil  it  requires  more  labor  to  cultivate  an 
acre  of  cotton ;  consequently,  only  as  many  acres  should  be  planted  as 
can  be  given  the  best  attention,  so  as  to  produce  a  maximum  crop, 
thus  leaving  more  land  for  cereals  and  for  meadows  and  pastures. 

An  objection  sometimes  urged  against  the  rotation  of  crops  in  cot¬ 
ton  production  is  that  the  land  while  in  corn  becomes  filled  with 
grasses  and  weeds,  and  hence  it  is  more  expensive  to  eliminate  these 
in  cotton  production  under  rotation  of  crops  than  where  cotton  fol¬ 
lows  cotton ;  but  if  care  be  exercised  to  keep  the  corn  free  from  weeds 
and  to  plant  a  cover  crop  there  will  be  no  serious  difficulty  arising  from 
this  cause. 

DEMONSTRATION  WORK  ON  VARIOUS  FARM  CROPS. 

The  Farmers’  Cooperative  Demonstration  Work,  as  before  stated, 
aims  to  cover  the  entire  scope  of  the  management  of  the  standard 
crops  in  the  sections  where  the  work  is  conducted.  In  addition  to  the 
cotton-culture  system,  which  is  the  main  feature  of  the  work  in  many 
localities,  it  may  be  well  to  give  brief  mention  of  some  of  the  coopera¬ 
tive  work  on  other  crops  now  under  way,  such  as  corn  culture,  the  use 
of  soil-renovating  crops,  and  the  production  of  good  farm  seeds. 

CORN  CULTURE. 

Corn  is  the  main  grain  dependence  for  farm  stock  and  can  be  suc¬ 
cessfully  raised  in  most  portions  of  the  South.  Any  considerable 
increase  in  its  annual  production  would  have  a  marked  effect  upon  the 
value  of  the  unused  lands  for  grazing  purposes  and  would  perceptibly 
increase  the  income  of  the  farms.  The  importance  of  corn  for  food 
and  for  rotation  with  other  crops  gives  it  a  rank  next  to  cotton  as  a 
standard  farm  crop.  Notwithstanding  this,  its  cultivation  has  been 
singularly  neglected  until  the  average  yield  per  acre  has  fallen  below 
the  profit  fine  in  many  States.  Even  at  the  high  value  per  bushel 

422 


14  DEMONSTRATION  WORK  ON  SOUTHERN  EARMS. 

allowed,  the  corn  crop  in  many  of  the  Southern  States  does  not  pay  a 
living  wage  or  a  fair  rent  value  for  the  land. 

There  is  abundant  proof  that  large  and  profitable  crops  of  corn  can 
be  produced  in  the  South  by  the  use  of  the  best  seed  and  improved 
methods.  The  planting  of  low-grade  seed  in  a  shallow  and  impover¬ 
ished  seed  bed  is  responsible  in  the  main  for  deficient  yields  and  qual¬ 
ity.  However,  to  secure  the  best  results  other  reforms  must  be  made, 
such  as  better  drainage,  an  adjustment  of  distances  between  the  rows 
and  the  stalks  in  the  rows  to  meet  the  requirements  of  soil  and  climate, 
intensive  cultivation  of  the  crop,  the  use  of  cowpeas  in  the  corn,  and 
the  following  of  the  corn  with  a  winter  cover  crop. 

The  Farmers’  Cooperative  Demonstration  Work  includes  instruc¬ 
tion  along  all  of  these  lines,  and  the  results  have  been  most  encourag- 


Fig.  1. — Cornfield  on  a  demonstration  farm,  showing  a  school  for  farmers  engaged  in  selecting  corn. 


ing.  Our  investigations  show  that  not  even  1  per  cent  of  the  lands  in 
the  South  planted  to  corn  are  plowed  deeply  enough  at  breaking,  that 
they  have  not  sufficient  humus,  and  that  they  are  not  given  the  proper 
tillage  to  make  the  best  crop.  Seed  is  so  generally  defective  that  only 
about  one-third  of  so-called  good  seed  is  suitable  for' planting  if  maxi- 
num  yields  are  expected.  Along  these  practical  lines  we  are  conduct¬ 
ing  cooperative  demonstrations  with  the  object  of  increasing  the  corn 
crop  in  the  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States  at  least  threefold  per  acre 

422 


DEMONSTRATION  WORK  ON  SOUTHERN  FARMS. 


15 


without  additional  cost.  A  system  of  seed  selection  for  improving  the 
quality  and  increasing  the  yield  and  methods  of  storage  for  the  pres¬ 
ervation  of  vitality  are  outlined,  detailed  instructions  being  given  on 
application. 

Selection  of  Seed  Corn. 

The  object  of  the  average  farmer  in  planting  corn  is  to  secure  the 
largest  crop  of  good  corn  possible  under  the  conditions.  The  selec¬ 
tion  of  the  seed  is  very  important. 

For  the  best  results  corn  should  be  selected  in  the  field.  The 
Japanese  select  their  rice  seed  before  the  harvest. 

The  model  ear  of  corn  is  only  a  small  part  of  the  problem.  The 


Fig.  2.— Corn  day  at  Monroe,  N,  C.,  showing  200  farmers  selecting  and  testing  corn  for  planting. 

stalk,  the  leaf,  the  root  habits,  the  husk,  and  the  environment  of  the 
plant  from  which  the  ear  is  taken  must  be  considered.  Most  of  the 
Southern  States  are  subject  to  a  shorter  or  longer  drought  during  the 
period  of  growth  of  the  corn  crop,  and  the  crop  will  depend  largely 
upon  the  drought-resisting  habits  of  leaf  and  roots.  Some  varie¬ 
ties  of  corn  which  are  model  in  ear  have  so  open  a  husk  that  the 
weevils  destroy  much  of  it  while  in  the  field.  Again,  the  ear  in  the 
crib  does  not  tell  how  many  weak  or  bastard  stalks  grew  in  the 
vicinity. 

422 


16 


DEMONSTRATION  work  on  southern  farms. 


COWPEAS  AND  OTHER  SOIL-RENOVATING  CROPS, 

As  just  stated,  corn  requires  a  strong,  well-tilled  soil,  and  upon  thin 
land,  deteriorated  by  bad  management,  the  yield  soon  drops  below  a 
remunerative  average.  Such  lands  will,  however,  profitably  produce 
other  crops  of  great  value  for  the  sustenance  of  farm  stock,  and, 
in  addition,  the  growing  of  these  crops  will  provide  an  excellent 
means  of  soil  renovation.  Lands  that  are  now  producing  10  bushels 
of  corn  per  acre  will  with  much  less  labor  produce  l\  tons  of  cowpea 
hay  per  acre,  equal  in  nutritive  value  to  31  bushels  of  corn,  or  they 
will  yield  1 }  tons  of  peanut  hay  per  acre,  equal  in  nutritive  value  to 
23f  bushels  of  corn,  and  in  addition  a  peanut  crop  of  25  bushels  per 
acre  may  be  secured. 

On  rich  lands  that  under  good  culture  will  produce  40  or  more 
bushels  of  corn  per  acre  satisfactory  results  can  be  secured  by  plant¬ 
ing  co wpeas^e tween  the  rows  of  corn.  Even  rich  bottom  lands  rated 
to  yield  40  bushels  of  corn  per  acre  if  sown  to  alfalfa  frequently  pro¬ 
duce  5  tons  of  liay  per  acre  in  a  season,  equal  in  feeding  value  to  105J 
bushels  of  corn.  In  addition,  such  crops  as  cowpeas,  peanuts,  and 
alfalfa  rapidly  enrich  the  soil  and  leave  it  in  excellent  mechanical 
condition  for  the  ensuing  year. 

Generally  speaking,  poor  hill  lands  should  not  be  used  for  corn 
culture  unless  they  are  placed  under  a  thorough  system  of  renovation, 
or  unless  fertilization  with  stable  manure  or  compost  is  practiced  to 
a  high  degree. 

SEED  FARMS. 

The  good-seed  problem  has  been  a  most  difficult  one  to  solve  in  the 
South.  Until  recently  very  few  farmers  have  paid  any  attention  to 
planting  pure  seed  or  keeping  it  pure  when  planted,  and  still  fewer 
have  tried  to  improve  their  seed  by  selection.  Not  one  farm  in  one 
hundred  in  the  South  has  proper  storage  for  good  seed.  Through 
field  agents  prominent  farmers  in  every  county  have  been  induced  to 
establish  seed  farms,  where  the  cultivation  of  the  crop  and  the  selec¬ 
tion  and  storing  of  the  seed  are  supervised  by  agents  of  this  cooper¬ 
ative  demonstration  work  under  an  agreement  that  the  seed  produced 
shall  be  distributed  to  the  farmers  at  a  moderate  price.  The  best 
seeds  for  a  given  section  are  observed  and  a  general  interest  is  aroused 
among  the  farmers  to  plant  a  separate  seed  patch  on  every  farm  and 
carefully  select  for  improvement. 

BOYS’  CORN  CLUBS. 

One  of  the  outgrowths  of  the  demonstration  work  is  the  boys’  corn- 
club  movement.  We  were  in  a  position,  through  our  organization 
and  our  force  in  the  field,  to  perfect  the  corn-club  idea  and  give  the 

422 


DEMONSTRATION  WORK  ON  SOUTHERN  FARMS. 


17 


instructions  necessary  to  systematize  it.  Under  our  supervision 
every  boy  enrolled  works  a  definite  piece  of  ground  under  definite 
instructions  that  will  give  him  an  exact  knowledge  of  how  to  work 
large  crops.  One  of  the  strong  features  of  the  demonstration  work 
is  that  it  is  cooperative,  and  in  the  boys’  work  we  frequently  find  the 
other  vital  forces  of  the  county — the  superintendent  of  public  educa¬ 
tion,  the  teachers,  the  business  men,  the  newspapers,  and  the  parents — 
all  giving  aid  and  support. 

In  Holmes  County,  Miss.,  in  1909,  our  boys’  corn  clubs  produced 
crops  averaging  76  bushels  of  corn  per  acre.  The  corn  grown  by 


Fig.  3.— Members  of  a  boys’  corn  club  at  Tyler,  Tex.  A  real  school  of  agriculture. 


their  fathers  and  the  neighbors  averaged  about  16  bushels.  This, 
with  the  results  in  other  counties,  was  sufficient  to  arouse  the  State 
of  Mississippi  and  create  an  overwhelming  public  sentiment  in  our 
favor.  From  a  total  enrollment  of  10,543  during  that  year,  the  move¬ 
ment  grew  until  the  year  1910  recorded  an  enrollment  in  the  various 
States  of  46,225  boys. 

Another  feature  of  the  work  that  has  grown  is  that  the  boys  are 
not  rewarded  solely  by  the  crop.  Public-spirited  people  are  willing 
to  give  numerous  and  valuable  premiums.  The  one  that  has  especi¬ 
ally  influenced  the  boys  is  a  free  trip  to  Washington  and  a  stay  of 
one  week  there  free  of  expense  to  the  member  of  the  boys’  corn  clubs 

422 


18 


DEMONSTRATION  WORK  ON  SOUTHERN  FARMS. 


who  raises  the  largest  crop  in  his  State,  under  the  directions  issued 
to  the  boys  of  the  corn  clubs.  The  boys  who  won  this  trip  in  1909 
were  presented  with  a  diploma  by  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture,  some¬ 
thing  never  before  in  the  history  of  agriculture  presented  under  such 
circumstances. 

We  also  have  some  cases  where  the  boys  of  one  county  are  challeng¬ 
ing  the  boys  of  another  county  to  a  contest  in  corn  production. 

One  of  our  requirements,  which  has  had  a  very  beneficial  effect, 
is  that  the  proceeds  of  the  acre  and  the  prizes  shall  go  to  the  boy. 


Fig.  4. — How  to  make  a  farmer.  The  hoy  who  grew  the  corn  shown  is  standing  in  his  demonstration 

patch. 


We  have  also  a  system  which  will  prove  equally  effective  for  the 
girls  of  the  rural  schools,  so  that  the  whole  school  can  be  instructed 
in  a  practical  way. 


PRACTICAL  RESULTS  ACCOMPLISHED. 

The  field  operations  in  connection  with  the  Farmers’  Cooperative 
Demonstration  Work  extend  over  such  a  vast  territory  that  it  is 
difficult  to  state  results  in  a  concrete  way.  The  following  statements 
give  the  more  important  items  in  condensed  form: 

422 


DEMONSTRATION  WORK  ON  SOUTHERN  FARMS. 


19 


Agent  in  charge .  1 

General  assistant  agents . 5 

Field  agents .  428 

States  partially  or  wholly  worked .  12 

Public  meetings  held  annually  “ .  3,  800 

Circulars  distributed  annually .  2,  250,  000 

Number  of  demonstration  farms,  1909-10,  of  which  exact  records  are  kept  in 

central  office . 20,654 

Number  of  cooperating  farmers,  1909-10 .  47,  297 

Number  of  farmers  visiting  the  demonstration  farms  annually  (conserva¬ 
tively  estimated) .  1,  000,  000 

Number  of  boys  enrolled  in  the  boys’  corn  clubs .  46,  225 


Great  interest  is  everywhere  manifested  in  better  preparation  of 
the  soil,  in  planting  selected  seed,  and  in  general  betterment. 

CONCLUSION. 

It  has  been  proved  by  our  cooperative  demonstration  work  that  by 
following  the  instructions  of  the  Bureau  of  Plant  Industry  a  good 
crop  of  cotton  can  be  raised  in  the  worst-infested  boll-weevil  districts 
and  despite  the  ravages  of  this  pest,  provided  the  rains  are  not  so 
continuous  as  to  render  it  impossible  for  the  farmers  to  get  into  their 
fields  during  the  months  of  June  and  July.  Of  course,  under  such 
conditions  a  crop  can  not  be  made,  even  without  the  presence  of 
the  boll  weevil,  because  the  grass  would  take  the  crop  if  the  boll 
weevil  did  not.  It  is  possible  that  the  future  may  discover  some 
better  method  of  meeting  the  boll-weevil  problems,  but  experience 
has  shown  that  the  method  outlined  is  the  only  safe  one  at  present. 
The  boll  weevil  has  now  covered  a  large  portion  of  Texas,  Louisi¬ 
ana,  Arkansas,  Oklahoma,  and  about  one-third  of  Mississippi. 
It  is  annually  invading  new  territory  with  a  column  600  miles  long 
and  in  numbers  sufficient  to  cover  every  stalk  of  cotton  to  a  width 
of  30  miles.  A  cotton  crop  can  be  produced  despite  the  boll  weevil, 
and  the  sooner  American  farmers  face  the  situation  the  better  it 
will  be  for  all  concerned.  To  demonstrate  the  effectiveness  of  this 
theory  is  one  object  of  the  Farmers’  Cooperative  Demonstration 
Work. 

In  the  foregoing  pages  have  been  mentioned  only  some  of  the  lines 
of  demonstration  which  have  been  undertaken  for  rural  uplifting. 
The  results  have  far  exceeded  our  expectations,  and  the  farmers  have 
accepted  the  work  gratefully  and  have  cooperated  to  the  best  of  their 
ability  in  every  undertaking.  It  is  along  such  lines  as  these  that  great 
economies  can  be  practiced  and  valuable  reforms  wrought  for  the 
betterment  of  rural  conditions  and  for  solving  the  problems  of  the 
farm. 

“This  number  includes  “field  meetings”  when  the  agent  by  appointment  meets 
the  cooperating  farmers  and  interested  neighbors  on  a  demonstration  farm  to  discuss 
the  crop  and  other  matters  of  agricultural  importance. 


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